Oh to be in Love
by Wrexscar
Summary: A Tale of Hermione and Draco. Beginnings, endings and motivations


Oh to be in love (and never get out again)

 **Disclaimer**. A work of fanfiction. All copyright belongs to J.K Rowling.

 **A.N**. Part of the Teachers Lounge Dramione challenge.

Hermione went through ministry departments like a dose of salts. She had started with her house elf reforms, in the department for the regulation and control of magical creatures, before moving on to rights for other sapient non humans and other supposedly dark creatures. Once she had reforms in place and saw that there were people able to continue her work She agreed to move into the DMLE but before that she had some reforms she wanted to start with in the education system. She wasn't thrilled with her title but the role had precedent. So she found herself the new High Inquisitor. The office was spacious and her P.A. was helpful. Headmistress McGonagall while initially suspicious had warmed when she saw that Hermione had little interest in the day to day running of the school. There were wider reforms to put in place. Today however wasn't one she was looking forward too. The meeting was unavoidable, at least he was on time. She heard his tones as he announced himself to Samantha. He was shown in and he gazed around with a proprietorial look.

Now what to call him? Malfoy was too childish, Draco inferred a familiarity she didn't want.

"High Inquisitor." His lip twitched in an almost smile.

"Mr Malfoy, what can I do for you today? You were most insistent."

She didn't rise, she didn't shake his hand. She barely looked at him.

"It's about the bursary." She let him explain. She knew of course that he was funding a bursary for all the muggle born students at Hogwarts. It paid for uniforms and school supplies for the first five years. Muggle Born had obviously never heard from the school and were not prepared for the costs associated with caldrons, potion supplies and all the other sundry costs. Madam Malkans robes weren't cheap either.

He then explained about how he had set up the fund so it should have been self-financing. She drifted waiting for him to get to the point.

It turned out he had been effected by the global financial crisis. Leaving him with two choices. The first was to continue as they were. This he explained would cause the fund to collapse in the next decade. Not an option either of them wanted. The other would be to means test the bursary for the next decade. By then the central fund should have grown enough it should return to the current funding levels in perpetuity.

"I don't see any option you'll have to means test."

"I agree but it can't be any organisation that I have links to that does the test."

"So you want to take the glory but let the ministry do the work?" She countered, how typical.

"It has my name on it because it was the Malfoy money that started it. I could do the means test myself. Are you willing to hand over the names, addresses and family financial details of all the muggle born students to me? Just think of the headlines."

Hermione nodded. It took very little imagination to work out what the press would say.

"Your right, I'll set up a meeting with finance, you bring in your spreadsheets on projected available funds. They'll double check your figures then they can start drawing up options against our projected figures of muggle born expected in the next few years. They can then do some breakdown and present them to us, I presume you'll want to be present?"

"I thought they'd just put a cap against wealth?" He offered.

"It's one option. They could graduate it so all first years get full funding then as they get older the levels go down. I'll let them come up with the options and then make a decision. One thing I'd like you to consider. Stop being so obsessed with blood status."

He watched her carefully. "What do you mean?"

Hermione too out a file from her draw. Passed her wand over it and created a copy. She took out a marker and crossed out the address before handing it to Draco. "Take this girl, Lily Jones. Half Blood. Never knew or met her father. Similar to Dean in our year. Has just been met by McGonagall, as unaware of her heritage as a muggle born. Would certainly pass whatever means test we put in place. As the years go on her case won't be the only one as more witches and wizards dropped out and lived as muggles to avoid the war. The might even be pure blood orphans out there unaware they are magical."

Draco agreed he would think about. A memo flew in reminding Hermione of her next meeting. Draco headed out with promises that the ministry would be in touch.

Draco met with finance a week later and she got the memo from the first meeting. They agreed with his figures and were surprisingly positive over how well he was managing his funds.

She met again him again for a preliminary meeting with finance. They ran through the various options for making the available money stretch. Once finance had gave their presentation and answered questions they left. It was now purely a political decision as to which scheme they would go for and managing the press over how to spin it for the best.

Hermione found she didn't hate working with Draco. On a purely professional level he was efficient and courteous. They had a working lunch together that day although they didn't reach a final decision.

The next day she was surprised to see him call at lunch time with sandwiches and a drink for her. He had another suggestion that they would need to go back to finance for. It would amalgamate ides from three different schemes.

So it dragged on. With meetings and memos and ideas back and forth. He was a frequent lunchtime guest bringing her her favourite sandwiches. She found the boy from school was gone and a man she could work with had replaced him.

There was one more thing he could help her withbut the office was not the place to discuss it.

"You're inviting me out to dinner?"

"I am, dress muggle." He nodded his acceptance.

"What are you playing at Granger?"

"Hermione, please."

Draco looked around him and shook his head. "I was surprised at the dinner invitation but this? This is a very expensive restaurant, the setting is nothing short of romantic, the food is perfect, your dress magnificent and you are faultless both in looks and attitude. There is just one thing."

"Yes?" she leaned in and smiled giving him her full attention.

"Your eyes no matter how much you smile at me. I recognise that look in your eyes. It was the same just before you punched me, you just can't hide how much you hate me. So what are you playing at? Is this some game to make Weasley jealous?"

Hermione laughed as if he'd said the wittiest thing possible. "Ron and I we were done a long time ago. No he is happy and while I'm sure he'll spit his drink if he sees photos, no this isn't to make Ron jealous. Couldn't I just want to see you for your sake?"

"While that is possible, I recognise a scheme when I see one.

"So if this is a scheme why are you staying?"

Draco started to count off the reasons on his fingers. "One. It would be bad manners to leave halfway through a meal. Two. This is really good food. Three you invited me so I'm assuming you're paying. Four. It is to my advantage that former Death Eater, dark mark wearing Draco Malfoy be seen in the company of social reformer Hermione Granger, Order of Merlin winner, Hero of Hogwarts."

Hermione picked up her mobile and smiled winsomely or as close as she could manage. "Thank you for the reminder." She sent a quick text. "It's all for nothing if the paparazzi don't see us."

"I was right it was all a scheme. The noble Gryffindor has learnt how to scheme like a Slytherin."

Hermione raised her glass in mock salute and took a mouthful of wine. Before returning to her meal.

By the time they finished and had settled the bill Rita and her latest photographer where waiting on the kerb side. Hermione refused to speak to the woman but moved slow enough so that the photographer could get some good shots of her and Draco before they got into the waiting taxi.

They departed the taxi on a nameless side street and apparated back to Draco's flat. Hermione had considered hers but the candles and scents were set for romance and Draco was not buying that idea.

They sat facing each other either side of a breakfast bar, steaming coffee between them. Draco was taking his straight and black she was drinking the closest he could manage to a cappuccino.

"So are you going to tell me, what you're doing? At the moment it's to my profit so I'm happy to play."

She hadn't planned for this, not this quick. She diverted. "Are you happy with this life, the flat rather than the mansion, being the public face of trust funds and charities?"

"It wasn't what I expected when I was in school but it's what I have to do gain us redemption."

She nodded and waited for him to explain. The silence grew until he spoke to fill it.

"My father gambled everything and we lost. I have to pay the price." He stopped hoping that would be enough.

Went it became apparent he wasn't going to say any more she spoke. "I can speed up your redemption but I need more from you, first the truth."

"I doubt you'd believe it. Would you believe my father doesn't give a damn about blood purity?"

Hermione felt her eyebrows rise.

"It's true, although I can't say the same of my mother, she was a Black after all. Fine the truth my father only believed in power. He used to say there was no such thing as good or evil only power and those too afraid to use it. He changed his mind after spending time with the Dark Lord who threw off all pretence in the second war. My father realised the worse thing for our family would not be his defeat but his victory. So he changed sides. We all escaped prison but he has left the country and my role is to ensure the name Malfoy is synonymous with charity and good works rather than death eater. In time my son or grandson will be able to take the manor out of mothballs and seek a role in society where we can influence again." Draco took a sip of his coffee. And looked up. "Is that enough truth?"

Hermione nodded. "I can work with that. I can speed your redemption if you want. I can guarantee the name Malfoy has a very different meaning. The manor will be opened again and you can mix with the powerful. All you have to do is one thing."

She could see she had him. He wanted this. "What?"

"Marry me."

She was glad he wasn't drinking at that point but he still almost choked. "You want to marry me? You hate me."

She flicked her hand in front of him. "Details."

She watched his brow crease in thought. She could see him working it out. "You want to be Minister of Magic, there's no way you'd get the job unmarried and muggle born social reformer Hermione Malfoy married to a traditional pureblood ticks all the boxes. You'd get a landslide vote in the Wizengamot."

"That is my thinking, yes."

He went silent again as he considered. Eventually he spoke. "I'm not saying yes buy you do understand we would have to a child, more than one maybe, I want a son."

"It's something I'd considered." She hoped she'd kept her voice neutral. "I'd want a say in the name."

"Provided you keep to the Black naming tradition you can choose. They have to be named after stars or constellations."

"Orion or Cassiopeia for example."

"Exactly. There are Blacks with both names.

She knew she had him then. Hooked but not quite landed. The next day he turned up for lunch at her office. He handed her the usual lunch and simply said. "Yes."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Would you prefer I do?" He elaborated.

They were seen more frequently in public, the gossip columns were full of them. Hermione moved from education to the DMLE and they were engaged soon later.

Hermione braced herself and walked into the mansion. She wanted to scream and burn it down. Her arm started to ache, she knew it was a phantom pain. Remembering where Bellatrix had cut her. Her fiancées aunt. Thankfully one relative she wouldn't have to deal with.

She almost cursed Draco as he placed a hand on her arm. She was feeling that jumpy.

"We are not going to live here." She hissed at him.

"I understand. I struggle to think of any happy memories associated with this place. Although that might change tonight." Their engagement ball was reported in nothing but positive terms. The fact that Harry and Ginny turned up to a social event guaranteed front page coverage. The muggle born equality act her major work got less than a paragraph in the politics section much as her she hoped.

As was their custom Draco joined her for lunch at her desk.

"It makes no sense you know." He looked up from reading the act. "In the seventh paragraph on page twenty two redact the ninth word. What does it all mean? It does on for pages like this. I thought this was a great reform act."

Hermione smirked at him. "It is you just need to get the original paragraph I'm changing. Then you'll find that taking out certain words changes the whole meaning of things."

"But you only give things reference numbers not actual names."

" I'm not trying to make this easy for people." She walked round the desk and leaned over his shoulder. Forcing contact between them she knew at some point she would have to sleep with him bare his children. Not murder him. It was aversion therapy and she practiced it in little ways.

"That is referring to the Werewolf Registration laws. I have removed the word not saying they can not work in the ministry. The whole act is things like that. Finding all the laws that have a bias and removing words. It will be voted on next month. No one will have enough time to find all the context for all the changes. The wedding invites need to be ready the day before."

"Are you sure you want the traditional pureblood wedding?"

"I've checked the vows. They are actually quite liberal. No obeying or even fidelity. Just bound till death. That's pretty standard. I can throw the purebloods a bone, especially as I want their vote for Minister."

Their wedding was the event of the decade. All the great and good and those who thought they were great and good were invited. Ginny was her maid of honour ensuring Harry's appearance. Ron even turned up although he avoided her as much as possible since the news of her engagement broke.

Kingsley acted as Marriage Minister and they held it at the manor again. He joined their hands and loosely bound them with a leather cord. She didn't really consider the implications of the glow that enveloped their hands as they made their vows.

It was two years later when Kingsley informally let her know that he would be stepping down in six months. It couldn't have happened at a worse time. The gossip columns were openly speculating on her sham marriage.

She apparated to Draco's flat that evening and was quite blunt with Astoria. "Thank you for warming him up but get dressed and bugger off."

Draco watched her warily as he lay naked in his bed. She pulled off her robe and quickly started getting potions out of her bag. "Love potion for me, keyed to you. Fertility potion for me. You seem to have gone soft." she remarked as she climbed on top of him. She summoned one more potion handing it to him. "Lust potion."

That was a mistake. He wanted to go all night and she was happy to indulge his every whim.

Kingsley agreed to wait until after the birth before he stepped down. Cassiopeia Granger-Malfoy was definitely the child of both her parents. Pale coloured but bushy haired. Hermione groaned, a girl she would have to do it again. Still Astoria was an excellent nanny and a child shored up their marriage and ensured her vote for Minister was a landslide.

Scorpious was starting to show, she had her robe altered to make it even more obvious that she was pregnant when she announced she was running again. That was one of her reforms ensuring the Minister had to stand for re-election. Although she hadn't introduced a limit on the number of times. No she waited until Scorpius was starting Hogwarts and she had decided to retire before introducing her final reforms bringing in limits to the Minister's power. There was only one thing left to do.

"A divorce?" That's impossible." Draco couldn't keep the surprise from his voice. "It was a traditional pureblood wedding. The vows are unbreakable. It is till death do us part."

As the Aurors led her away in chains she was grateful that prison reform had been one of her first

reforms.


End file.
